Kansas Republicans and Democrats are preparing for March 5 presidential caucuses amid questions about voter registration rules and with several thousand potential voters who have tried to register unable to cast a ballot in the 2016 elections because they haven’t provided proof of citizenship. Participation rules for the party caucuses differ significantly from each other, and from voting at the polls later this year, because the parties themselves set the rules. The Kansas secretary of state’s office has no say in how the state parties set up the process for choosing their presidential nominee.
Kansas Republicans cannot vote in their party caucus unless they were registered to vote by Feb. 4. Republican caucus goers must also show government issued identification such as a driver’s license and can expect to have their voter registration as Republicans verified.
Democrats can register to vote when they show up March 5 at their caucus site. Registered voters can also change their party affiliation to Democrat that day. Voter ID is not required. The party advises those who plan to register to vote for the first time in Kansas that day to bring proof of citizenship, but for those who show up without that paperwork the Kansas Democratic Party won’t require citizenship documents to vote in the caucus.
Full Article: Kansas caucuses show party differences in voting approaches | The Kansas City Star.
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